Fishing Forum

Anyone have info on the safety of eating the fish out of Utah Lake, and will they taste like mud.

As large as Lake Powell is I've heard you should not eat more then 2 or 3 fish filets a week.

I eat more then that at one meal.
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Bass are a no no, too much mercury. Some smaller catfish wont hurt your health. Walleye are dangerous. Carp well they can be eaten in any amount. Utah department of health has the best info on mercury levels found in fish from lakes around the state.[]
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I've been eating them for onto 40 years now, I'm 69 & still kicking. I wouldn't recommend making them a mainstay of my diet though. As for tasting like mud -- NO WAY they are as good as fish from anywhere if they're taken care of.
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RE:
"Bass are a no no, too much mercury. Some smaller catfish wont hurt your health. Walleye are dangerous. Carp well they can be eaten in any amount. Utah department of health has the best info on mercury levels found in fish from lakes around the state."


The last part of this is correct, the Utah health department has the best information. However, Utah lake has NO mercury advisories for any of their fish species!! Walleye are NOT dangerous, white bass are NOT a no-no, and actually, the raw numbers of the mercury tests on UL fish are some of the lower values in the state. Carp and channel catfish DO HAVE A PCB ADVISORY on them and the Health dept. has guidelines on how much can be consumed, and the statement that carp can be eaten in any amount is incorrect. WB, walleyes, and the panfish have all been tested for PCBs and found to be safe.

The fish advisory map is here.

[url "http://fishadvisories.utah.gov/map.htm"]http://fishadvisories.utah.gov/map.htm[/url]

The green dots represent waters that have been tested and found to have mercury levels in the safe range. As you can see, Utah lake has all green dots. I have the raw numbers at home if it interests you. The red dots represent advisory waters.

Here is the link to the PCB advisory paper for Utah lake carp and channel cats.

[url "http://www.deq.utah.gov/News/2007/docs/100207_Fish_Advisory-NR.pdf"]http://www.deq.utah.gov/...Fish_Advisory-NR.pdf[/url]

I have found the panfish, White bass, walleyes and channel cats to be quite good on the table, (C&R on the green fish for me) but if the water or some other mental issue turns you off, then you probably won't be able to convince yourself that the flesh really is good.

Lake Powell has had a few stripers test over the advisory value for mercury, but not enough to issue an advisory. (See the above map)
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Thanks for the links and the info. I was having a fun moment. But as sportsmen we should be vigilant of threats to our waters. I am not willing to accept that we let this lake or that river go to crap because we were not willing to say hey what is up with this or is that worth the price of having the fish poisoned. The question of if the fish are fit to be eaten should never have to asked. Most of the Utah waters are producing fish that are safe to eat. That is good news to fisherman.
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[#000000]"Carp well they can be eaten in any amount. "[/#000000]

[#008000]I have to agree ! Me, the family, and my hounds have been eating all kinds of fish out of the lake for eons and have never had any kind of side effect that I can tell.

If you or any one else see us on the bank fishing be sure to stop by and say howdy. Here is what we look like ...[/#008000]
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(me)
[inline ULsafetoeatthecarp.JPG]

(significant other)
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(junior)
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(the hounds)
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It looks to me like it runs in the family... Don't blame it on the fish..LOL
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Are you ready too Fish ?
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Very funny post fishhound
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[laugh][laugh]Now that is some good stuff. Are you sure that your consumption has no side effects. You guys are lookin fine but the dogs might have something wrong with their bites.
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Do you have any info on how much mercury is contained in a can of tuna fish from the grocery store?


I think that the levels of PCBs and mercury being found in fish across Utah are not any higher that levels found in store-bought tuna fish. Just something to think about...


http://www.pbs.org/now/science/mercuryinfish.html
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[cool]When I was actively involved with the Utah Anglers' Coalition, a guest speaker at one of the meetings was reviewing some of the "safe" limits of chemicals and how they affect the commercial fishing industries. It was suggested that the published safe limits have been altered upward to avoid shutting down some of the fisheries.

Also, different regulatory agencies have differing opinions on what constitutes a dangerous level of mercury, PCB and other contaminants.

Here is an interesting website:

[url "http://www.perinatology.com/exposures/Maternal/seafood.htm"]http://www.perinatology.com/exposures/Maternal/seafood.htm[/url]
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That's kind of my point, tuberduder. What the State of UT is required to notify as "dangerous" levels may not be the same as what the FDA is notifying you as "dangerous" levels.

So, my question is: what has more mecrury / pcb's, a can of tuna fish from Smith's, or a fillet of catfish from Utah Lake?

The answer might be scary...
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RE: "I think that the levels of PCBs and mercury being found in fish across Utah are not any higher that levels found in store-bought tuna fish."


I agree with you. In fact, the "action" level for mercury that the FDA used to use for commercial tuna, (At first, .5 PPM and then 1 PPM) are far higher than what the Utah health dept currently use (.3 PPM) As your article points out, the FDA doesn't even widely test anymore.

Another thing that should be remembered from reviewing Utah's testing map is that MOST of our waters test OK. There are far more green dots than red (advisory) dots. The raw numbers are even more reassuring. (to me at least) Bon appetit!
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[#008000]YES ! Ski season is over and I'm just patiently reorganizing the seasonal gear and counting my split shots. [/#008000]
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[#008000]Give me a call or shoot me a PM.[/#008000]
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Went to Deer Creek last weekend, did well Eyes and Rainbows. We need clear weather and warming
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[quote PBH]That's kind of my point, tuberduder. ..[/quote]

Tuberduder. [laugh][laugh][laugh]
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This topic was debated last year.

I think a few folks meet up to settle the argument with pistols a fifty paces [].
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You know, posting pictures of my family for a sick joke is just wrong and, by the way, the dogs have dentures now you heartless trout eater. Carp taste good man... get it through your head!
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